176 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Old colonies did not dwindle more than 

 others. I assume that the bees in the 

 packages had already largely seen field ser- 

 vice in the South before shipment. 



Question 2. I do not think that package 

 bees can be made equal to bees purchased 

 at home at any saving of cost whatever, 

 provided not more than $5 per colony is 

 paid at home, I am assuming that the 

 IDackages are figured at 90 cents per pound 

 in lots of 100 or more pounds. 



Question 3. Assuming that Washington, 

 D. C, has about the same spring climate 

 as Chicago, 111., bees should arrive not 

 later than May 1. Fruit will then be in 

 bloom, and the clover flow will start by 

 May 25, normally. I do not think less than 

 four pounds of bees should be bought for 

 each eight-frame hive, especially if they are 

 to be put on full sheets. The larger clusters 

 can do far more in the cold nights of early 

 spring. I do not advise buying nuclei on 

 combs to ship as far as Washington or 

 Chicago, as express charges are prohibitive. 



Question 4. May 1. Start stimulative 

 feeding from the day the bees arrive, and 

 keep it up not less than one pint daily. 

 Candy is a poor stimulative feed compared 

 to liquids. 



Question 5. My experience in feeding 

 the ten colonies last spring in addition to 

 the stores of their hive (in the five bought 

 at home), proves to my satisfaction that it 

 does not pay to stimulate by feed where 

 good stores are in the hive. 



Question 6. I think the second story 

 should always be added above, especially 

 if it contains full sheets of foundation. 

 Never, under any circumstances, divide the 

 brood in the spring in the locality of 

 Washington or Chicago. The temperature 

 last spring went down to 15 degi'ees F. about 

 May 10. A queen that is not laying well 

 in the second story by May 25, even if 

 full sheets of foundation were given, and 

 if not much feeding is done, is absolutely 

 no good, whether in a full colony bought at 

 home or in a five-pound package. 



Question 7. Sugar and candy are not 

 grod for stimulative feeding compared to 

 liquid feed. However, I must admit little 

 experience feeding candy or sugar. The 

 feed should always be given over the cluster 

 in early spring, iDreferably with the pepper- 

 box feeder and the cluster, feeder and all 

 ccivered well with several layers of clolh, 

 such as burlap. I am sure daily feeding 

 is preferable to weekly or semi-weekly 

 feeding. 



Question 8. The only difference I would 

 make with full colonies bought at home 

 Avould be, not to feed for stimulation, and 

 to do nothing to the bees except, possibly. 



March, 1917 



to score some of the sealed honey next to 

 the cluster once or twice a week. Doolittle's 

 " millions -at our house " still stands. 



Question 9. Here are some comparative 

 prices : Full colony bought at home. 



To 1 colony (two supers, eight- 

 frame) $5.00 



To % pound sugar daily, 30 days, at 



3y2 cents 50 



Total.... $5.50 

 Pound packages. 

 To 5 pounds of bees at 90 cents per 



pound $4.50 



One untested Italian queen 75 



Express on five-pound package from 



Louisiana 75 



Eight full sheets foundation, frames 



etc 1.00 



To sugar, same as above 50 



Total.... $7.50 



This charges no labor and expense on 

 first body only, figuring the beekeeper has 

 the empty hive to start with for the bees in 

 the combless package. The sugar was some 

 damaged in shipment, and was a bargain at 

 3% cents. 



Manager, Quality Hill Apiaries. 



A CHANCE REPORT OF TWENTY POUNDS OF 

 SOUTHERN BEES. 



In February, 1916, I ordered 20 lbs. of 

 bees from a breeder in the South, with an 

 untested queen with each pound package. 

 The bees were shipped April 20, and they 

 arrived here April 25 in fine condition. It 

 happened to be very cold at that time so 

 I had to keep them in the house for three 

 or four days before setting them outdoors. 



On their arrival I immediately put them 

 in the hives they were to occupy, leaving 

 only four frames in the hives — two of sealed 

 honey while the others were empty combs. 

 It was so cold that the bees did not leave the 

 cages very readily, so I shook them out of 

 one of the cages. They were so hard to get 

 out that I decided to let the rest come out 

 themselves. 



Five or six days after they had been 

 outdoors a warm day came so that I could 

 look thru the hives to see whether the 

 queens had begun to lay. I found that two 

 of the queens were dead — at least they were 

 gone — ^so I wrote for two more queens with 

 bill for same. They came by return mail, 

 but tliere wei'e no charges. 



Well, the weather contiiuicd wet and cold 

 all thru April, May, and June; but every 



